Even In Darkness There Is Still Light
by Starship T.A.R.D.I.S
Summary: <html><head></head>The Elves of Mirkwood have grown rotten at their cores, much like their forest. They do not take kindly to Dwarves in their realm, and even less so to Elves who consort with Dwarves. This is a post BOFA evil!elves AU with a bit of Kiliel thrown in.</html>
1. Chapter 1

Dis peered between the bars of her cell. She heard someone coming, a guard probably. She could tell they were carrying or dragging someone else, perhaps a fellow prisoner. Yes. The guard unlocked the empty cell across the walkway from Dis. He then tossed a limp body into the cell.

"That's what you get for being a traitor, _enyeg._" he spat, and sharply kicked the unfortunate soul in the ribs. There was no reaction from her fellow prisoner. The guard exited the cell and locked it, then strode away.

"Hello?" Dis whispered. She couldn't tell if the person in the other cell was alive or dead. They gave no response. Dis could see that the other prisoner was an Elf, judging by the points of their ears. Dis also assumed that the person was female, and either fat or expecting a child. Dis hoped the first, but feared the latter, based on what the other Elves she had seen looked like. She thought that the Elf was breathing. That meant she was alive, and either unconscious or sleeping. The Elf was probably unconscious, since she appeared to be severely injured, probably by her own kin.

Dis held back a scream of anger and frustration. She was of the line of Durin, fit to be Queen under the Mountain, but instead she was here, stuck in a elven cell, kept from her kingdom and her sons. The letters that she had received said that Thorin was dead, Fili had been unconscious for weeks, and Kili was on the brink of death. Dis was going to see her sons, maybe for the last time, and see the mountain become the prosperous place of her youth. She had been in such a hurry to see her children that she felt it best to risk passing through Mirkwood, rather then trek the hundreds of miles around it. She could not help but think that it was because of her own foolishness that she was trapped here, held for random in the greedy elf king's quest for white gems.

Tauriel was having such a lovely dream. She was with Kili, and they were together, stealing kisses while rebuilding Erebor. Slowly, though, the dream began to fade, and reality set back in. She was stuck in the cells, with no way out and Kili probably dead. Tauriel opened her eyes and tried to catalog the various aches and pains in her body, of which there were many. Her head was spinning and she felt as though her limbs were made of lead. Something in her forced her to sit up and lean her head against the cool stone of the cell.

Tauriel held back a groan. She wondered how long she had been unconscious. Sometimes she would miss entire days after a beating, but she hoped that was not the case. Why she was being hurt, she could not say. Her people, the elves, had started to rot at their cores, much like the trees of the forest, becoming darker and crueler until they no longer resembled the elves of old. The soldiers she used to command now thrived on violence and hatred. More particularly, it seemed, violence and hatred towards her. Thranduil had long despised her, as she was similar in face to his dead wife, and he hated her for it. The only reason that Tauriel had ever been a captain at all was because the Silvan people demanded some sort of representation in the Guard, and she was the best fighter of her kind, though Thranduil loathed to admit it. Tauriel could only think that that was the reason why she was kept in so much pain. That and the baby. She refused to name the father of her child, and that irked Thranduil.

Tauriel had stayed in Dale after the Battle. She wanted to be near Kili, but the Dwarves would not allow any of her kind near him, much to her dismay. She wanted, no, needed, to be with Kili. He should know of the child, know that she survived, and Tauriel needed to know that Kili was healthy. According to the gossips of Dale, Kili was near death's door. Every fiber of her being yearned to be with him. Tauriel could only wonder if he was all right. She feared Kili dead. If that were the case, Tauriel did not know what was keeping her from fading. She had only one connection to Kili: the baby. Tauriel was very much pregnant, and she was a few short weeks from welcoming her child into the world.

Tauriel and Kili had been together before the Battle, the infant in her womb was proof of that. Tauriel had fought in the battle, but had stayed on high ground and shot arrows at enemies from afar. She loathed to fight and risk the baby but she needed to appear normal in the eyes of Thranduil. Once the Battle was over, Tauriel could disappear into the crowns of refugees from Laketown and hide from the elf king. Thranduil's hatred of dwarves had grown by a thousandfold when they refused to give him the white gems that he so coveted, and Tauriel lived in fear that someone would find the parentage of her child.

"Are you all right?" Dis asked, once she realized that the elf was awake.

"I will be, given time." Tauriel said, pain in her voice. One of her ribs was surely fractured, if not broken, for it hurt to breathe. Her head felt as though a herd of wargs had trampled through it, and it ached badly. Tauriel had bruises everywhere, and could barely see though her swollen eyes. She had some cuts, but they were small and not bleeding too badly. She would have to clean them later so they wouldn't get infected, but right now it took all of Tauriel's strength to speak.

"You need a healer." Dis said. She was concerned for the elf in the cell. It was hard enough on a woman's body being pregnant, but harder still in prison and beaten into unconscious.

"I doubt they would send for one." Tauriel said. She had asked for one early on when she was imprisoned, and was given a slap in the face, and a scalding "prisoners don't get healers" from a guard.

"Why? You're obviously pregnant and in a lot of pain." Dis said.

"I already tried." Tauriel said sadly. She could really use a healer now, and a hot meal. Tauriel had eaten nothing but cold gruel for weeks on end.

"They wouldn't get you a healer?!" Dis cried in outrage.

"Yes." Tauriel said.

"What are they, monsters?!" Dis said, even more angry. Tauriel resisted the urge to reply "yes", but did not dare for fear a guard would be listening. She had learned the hard way that the guards were nearly omnipotent.

"What is your name?" Tauriel asked, changing the topic of conversation to a safer subject.

"Dis. And yourself?"

"Tauriel."

"Good to meet you." Dis said. "I wish it were under different circumstances."

"Me as well." Tauriel said. "Why are you in here? I was unaware that King Thranduil was in the habit of imprisoning dwarves."

"Apparently he is." Dis said grimly. "I was crossing through Mirkwood as a shortcut to get to Erebor to see my sons. I am being held for trespassing. The rest of my companions were set free, but I was kept behind, to be freed only for the white gems that that _sanich_ that calls himself a king desires."

"That's awful!" Tauriel said. "What are your sons names?"

"Fili and Kili."

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><p>What did you think? Let me know in the reviews! I actually finished this fic before I started posting, so updates should be daily! Remember to review, favorite, and follow! Starship T.A.R.D.I.S. out!<p> 


	2. Chapter 2

"That's awful!" Tauriel said. "What are your sons names?"

"Fili and Kili." Dis said. Tauriel held back a gasp. This women was the grandmother of her child, her mother by marriage. Should she dare tell Dis that Kili was the father of the baby? If a guard overheard, then they would inform Thranduil, and he would most likely kill her. The only reason she was alive now was that she refused to tell Thranduil the father of her baby. Tauriel decided it would be safer not to tell Dis, since there were guards lurking around their cells. Tauriel did not know how to respond to Dis, but was saved from having to do so.

"Why are you in here?" Dis asked.

"I was declared a traitor." Tauriel said. "I stayed and helped the people of Dale rebuild. I defied the orders of Thranduil and now I am here."

"You are being punished for helping people?!" Dis exclaimed.

"It would seem so. My punishment would be lessened if I revealed the father of my child, but I cannot." Tauriel said. She was feeling stronger now, enough to dip a piece of her tunic in the bucket of water in her cell and start cleaning the dirt from her face, hands, and the cuts on her arms.

"Why can you not say who your lover is?" Dis asked.

"My husband was brave, kind, strong, and an expert fighter, but Thranduil did not look past his race to see these qualities." Tauriel said. "I do not desire to know what he would do if he knew my husband's name."

"Can you tell me?" Dis asked. "I admit, I am quite curious to know what being would be how you describe, but yet be so hated."

"I am afraid I cannot." Tauriel said. "In here, even the walls have ears."

"Oh." Dis said, disappointed.

Just then, a guard passed though the hallway. Tauriel immediately tensed and moved to the back corner of her cell. It was a reflex from undergoing so much pain at the hands of the guards. It didn't help much, but it happened nonetheless.

"Am I getting out of here any time soon?" Dis asked.

"Not until your kinsmen bring the King his jewels." The guard replied, then continued walking, though not without throwing a glare at Tauriel, as though she had somehow insulted him.

"I think I'm going to sleep before the guards bring food around." Tauriel said. She knew she should try to move around her cell before her muscles became stiff, but she was quite tired and needed to rest.

"All right." Dis said. "I hope you feel better."

"Me too." Tauriel said. Fortunately, Elves heal quickly, and she could already tell that the bruises had started to fade slightly, and would probably be gone by the time she woke up. That was a relief, though her head still ached and her injured rib still made breathing painful. Tauriel chose to sleep on the stone floor, rather then the dusty, moldy thing that served as a mattress. The thing probably hadn't seen the light of day since start of the Third Age. Tauriel piled up her hair under her head, she had quite a lot of it, and it made a better pillow then the floor.

Dis watched the elf sleep, and pondered the unfortunate circumstances that had landed the elf here. Dis could not imagine what came over the elf king to throw Tauriel in prison, while she was pregnant too. It didn't make sense. All that the elf had been doing was helping the people of Dale rebuild from the destruction of their city. The elf had a kind soul, and she was being punished by being imprisoned, beaten and kept from her husband. Tauriel was so afraid to tell who her husband was. It was sad. Dis remembered being in love, being with her husband. Vili had been the most wonderful time of her life, until the dragon Smaug came and destroyed Erebor. Vili had fallen while attacking the dragon, giving Dis, Fili, and an infant Kili enough time to escape the dragons' wrath. Dis held back a sob at the memory. It was terrible that Vili died, but at least he got to meet Kili, though it was only for a week. Dis sighed, and drifted off into sleep.

Many hours later, Tauriel opened her eyes. She couldn't tell how much time had passed, but a guard had brought food, so she had been asleep for quite some time. Her stomach growled, and Tauriel welcomed the food. Across from her, Dis was asleep. Tauriel yawned, and stretched. She wished that she could have stayed in her dream-lie, the one that she shared with Kili, but she could not. Her dream-life was just that: a dream. Tauriel paced around the cell, wishing she could be free. She wondered how Kili was doing, and how the people of Laketown were. They were preparing to celebrate their first harvest since the fire drake destroyed their town when she was forced to leave. Tauriel remembered that day well.

Tauriel had been tending to a man hit by a wayward arrow in a hunting accident, when Sigrid had tapped her on the shoulder.

"There's someone here who wants to see you." Sigrid said, her face pale.

"Who?" Tauriel asked absentmindedly, focused on bandaging the wound.

"He says his name is Legolas. There's two other people with him, and they're armed. Did something happen?" Sigrid asked, worried for her friend and for herself. Tauriel paled and her eyes widened. It seemed that she had not avoided the wrath of Thranduil after all.

"No, but it would not be wise for me to ignore him." Tauriel said, her mind already plotting escape. Legolas would most likely have the building surrounded. There was no way out, except to fight. Tauriel wiped her hands on her apron, then loosed one of her daggers from it's sheath under her sleeve so she could quickly grab it if she needed to. She took a deep breath, and walked to the door of the infirmary. When she opened it, Legolas was standing in front of her.

"Tauriel." Legolas said, narrowing his eyes at the sight of her swollen abdomen. "Walk with me." It was more of a command then a question. Tauriel followed him, the two guards trailing after her.

"Why do you come here, after so many months?" Tauriel asked in Sindarin.

"The King became aware that one of our soldiers had not returned after the Battle, and that they may have been consorting with enemies of the Woodland Realm." Legolas said. "He sent me to retrieve her."

"What if she refuses to return?" Tauriel asked.

"Then I am to use all force necessary to bring her back." Legolas replied. Only now did Tauriel realize how dire her situation was. There were now three horses in sight, wearing the kings' insignia on their saddles. Tauriel knew that this area of New Dale was generally deserted. She couldn't take on three skilled fighters at once, not without backup. If she could make it to the main square, there would be people around, and city guards, who would be able to take on Legolas and his cohorts without bloodshed. Tauriel knew this for a fact, she trained them.

Legolas was on Tauriel's left, the guards at her back. Her best option was to dart to the right, and make an evasive path around the outer buildings until she reached the square. Tauriel did just that. She darted to the right, and ran a wide semicircle around the outhouses, past the infirmary. From there, it was a straight shot be main square. Behind her, she could hear Legolas ordering one of the guards to search the infirmary, and another to keep up with him. Tauriel grinned a sly grin. Even eight months pregnant, she was still faster then the elf prince. That made sense, as he was loaded down with weapons and armor, and had always been slow, even when he was an elfling. Tauriel reached the main square, gasping for breath. She steadied herself on a merchants' table and drew one of her daggers, then quickly released the other one. Tauriel gripped her daggers, ready for a fight. She was not going to let herself be dragged back to the Woodland Realm.

Tauriel whirled around, and was immediately faced with a less then pleased Legolas. She swung at his arm, not wanting to harm him, just keep him from harming her. Legolas ducked out of the way, and swung at Tauriel, who deflected his blade. Legolas wanted to bring Tauriel back to the Woodland Realm as soon as he could, and so hit Tauriel on the head with the hilt of one of his blades. Tauriel stumbled back, colored lights flashing in her head. The world was spinning, there was no solid ground, and everything faded to black as she collapsed to the ground. Legolas smiled a savage grin, and picked up Tauriel's unconscious body. Just then, Bard ran up to the Elf.

"What do you think you're doing?!" Bard cried, angry.

"She is wanted in the Woodland Realm." Legolas replied.

"No, Tauriel is staying here. She's been a citizen of New Dale since we first broke ground!" Bard said, determined not to lose his best healer and hunter.

"She is an Elf. We take care of our own." Legolas said with a voice like ice. He walked towards his horse, ignoring Bard's summons. The two soldiers he brought along would guard his back, and they took care of the group of guards from Dale that had rushed at them.

Legolas mounted his horse, then draped Tauriel's still unconscious body in front of him. He nudged his horse into a gallop, and headed for his fathers' halls.

Tauriel did not remember much after the fight in New Dale. She had woken up inside of her current cell and could only guess at what had happened. Most likely Thranduil had declared her a traitor and imprisoned her for a number of years. A passing guard later confirmed her suspicions. Thranduil needed concrete proof that she was a traitor to have her exiled or executed, as Tauriel was well liked by the soldiers she commanded, and her subordinates might rebel against the king. Thranduil was desperate to find out who the father of her child was. Legolas had overheard her speaking to Kili, and she had stayed behind to heal him, and was now pregnant. Thranduil could put two and two together and assume, but by his fathers' law he needed a confession to exile her. In the meantime, Thranduil surrounded her with guards who believed that Tauriel had stolen them of their rightful captaincy, and as revenge made life miserable for her.

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><p>That's chapter two! What did you think? Let me know in the reviews! Remember to review, follow, and favorite! Starship T.A.R.D.I.S. out!<p> 


	3. Chapter 3

Tauriel was feeling slightly better once she had rested. Her bruises were gone, and the cuts had scabbed already. Her headache had lessened, but her rib still made breathing painful. Tauriel stood up and stretched her stiff muscles. She paced around the cell, restless. Lately it seemed that the only things that happened to her were bad things. Kili was probably dead, she was imprisoned, and had been beaten so many times that she lost count. There was one bright spot though. The baby. It was her last connection to Kili. The guards had taken his runestone from her when they searched her for weapons before placing her in the cell.

Tauriel estimated that she was two or three weeks away from giving birth. So many things scared her about it. She knew that the birth would be painful, she had heard stories from the women of New Dale about it. Pain was not what scared her though. Tauriel was used to pain, she was a soldier. The baby itself was what was terrifying. What if there was something wrong with it because it was half Elf and half Dwarf? What if she didn't care for it properly? She had never had a baby before, and had only faint recollections from childhood of how to even hold one. What if the guards refused to bring a blanket? Would her child have to be unclothed for the rest of its' life? Would it grow up in a prison cell, not knowing the world? Would it never see the stars or the forest? There were so many possibilities, so many things that could go wrong. Tauriel did not want to think about this, but could stop her mind from wandering down this path: what if the baby was dead when it was born? Tauriel did not know if there were any half Elf half Dwarf children ever to exist, what if they could not? What if she and Kili, by some unlucky stroke of fate, were incompatible?

Tauriel did not want to think any longer. She paced around the cell, exporting her anxiety to the floor. Movement helped, made her less anxious. Tauriel hoped that her time in prison would not weaken her muscles. She was used to being strong, the one who did not falter at crucial moments. Her time in Mirkwood had weakened her, body, mind, and soul. Sometimes she felt as though the only thing that was keeping her from fading away was the baby. If Kili were dead, then so was her heart, for he was her heart and her love. Tauriel could not bear to live without him. He completed her, made Tauriel who she was. Kili was her soul, her heart, and her love for eternity. Tauriel could do anything, were Kili by her side. She only wished that he was here now, with her. Tauriel allowed a tear to trace it's path down her cheek. She wanted to be with him so badly. Every fiber of her being yearned for him. Tauriel was overcome by sadness, by the bleak realization that she was completely alone in the world, and might never see the stars again.

Tauriel sat down, and huddled in a corner. She drew her legs up to her chest as far as her protruding stomach would allow. Tauriel began to sob in earnest. She cried for herself, for Kili, and for their baby. Tauriel cried for herself, for her heart was near broken, her mind consumed with fear and sadness. Tauriel cried for Kili, for he was undoubtedly dead. Tauriel cried for the baby, for he or she would probably never see life outside of a prison cell, never feel the crisp night wind of an evening spent stargazing, never feel grass under its feet, and run for the pure sake of running. Tauriel's grief consumed her, and she lowered her head and let her tears run free.

Dis woke to soft sobs emanating from the cell across from her. She looked over and soon realized that the elf was crying.

"Tauriel?" Dis called softly, her voice gentle. Tauriel lifted her tear stained face, and looked at the dwarf with sad eyes. "What's wrong?" Dis asked, her voice sounding as though she was soothing a small child.

"Everything." Tauriel said, before another sob wracked her body. She wiped away the tears with her sleeve, and lifted her face once more. "The baby, K—my husband, the prison, just, everything."

"But you said your husband was dead." Dis said, confused at the elf's statement.

"The whole truth is that I don't know if he lives or has fallen." Tauriel said. "I knew that he was gravely ill, but I was not permitted to see him. I heard no word from him, and then I was brought here and have had no further opportunity to seek out his fate."

"But why did you say he was dead?" Dis asked.

"It was easier to think that he has passed then to hope against anguished hope that he lives still." Tauriel said.

"What of the child?" Dis asked.

"My _meleth _was not an elf." Tauriel said. "I do not know of any children between our two races. I fear I may be the first, to carry one this long, and that I know of no others because the baby did not live after birth." Tauriel said, another tear steaming down her face. Dis did not know how to respond. She had nearly lost Kili when he was born, had it not been for a skillful midwife, both she and Kili might have died.

"I...I don't know what to say." Dis responded. "When do you think the child will come?"

"A few weeks." Tauriel said. "I am rather unsure of it myself, Elves carry for a year but I do not know how long my husband's people carry for."

"Well, at least you'll know soon." Dis said with a small smile.

"It can't come soon enough." Tauriel said. "I just don't want my baby to die, I am so close to fading already and I don't think my heart can take another loss."

"It'll be allright." Dis said reassuringly. "You'll get out of here soon enough."

"Aye, when Hobbits stop eating." Tauriel said glumly. Dis chuckled.

"It'll be sooner then that." Dis said. "You and the baby'll be just fine. Just wait and see."

"Thanks." Tauriel said, smiling slightly.

"Before you know it, you'll be chasing after that little one." Dis said confidently. "Why, when Kili, that's my youngest, was little, Fili let him go outside. Why, I'll never know. But, it had just rained, and there was an enormous puddle of mud that was more like a lake outside. Little Kili started crawling around, and generally making a mess of himself, and then he saw fit to throw a glob of mud at Fili. That was the start of a mud war between those two, and I swear they still continue it to this day! I had to strip them both down to their underclothes and dunk them in the river before I let them inside the house. I don't know how, but they managed to get mud on the ceiling! They always were clever." Dis stopped, smiling. Tauriel was smiling too, and on the verge of laughing as she pictured a tiny version of Kili starting a mud fight with his brother.

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><p>That's chapter 3! What did you think? Let me know in the reviews! Next chapter we meet the baby. Remember to follow, favorite and review! Starship T.A.R.D.I.S. out!<p> 


	4. Chapter 4

Days passed. The sun rose, the moon took it's place. People laughed, cried, loved, and lost. In the cells of Mirkwood, however, things stayed mostly the same. Dis told stories of Kili and Fili in their youth, Tauriel listened gladly, and both fretted about the upcoming birth. Tauriel thought that she was a week or so from finally knowing the fate of her child.

Day turned to night, and both Elf and Dwarf slept in their respective cells. The moon was high and the stars glimmered, when Tauriel suddenly woke to pain and wetness between her legs.

"Dis?" Tauriel called, suddenly afraid. The Dwarf woke with a grunt.

"Henuh?" Dis responded, not entirely awake.

"I...I think the baby is coming." Tauriel said hesitantly.

"Already?! You said it wouldn't be for a few weeks." Dis said.

"I think I might have underestimated...like I said, I don't know how long my husband's people carry for." Tauriel replied.

"Tell me what you're feeling." Dis said, quickly becoming alert.

"Pain in...down there every few minutes. I think some sort of fluid has leaked, too, my dress is damp." Tauriel said, wincing as a spasm of pain hit.

"Well, you're probably in labor." Dis said mater of factly, and mentally began running through a list of things she would need, before she was in a prison cell and therefore had no access to them. Dis sighed, and began shouting to get a guard's attention. "HEY! GET OVER HERE!" she yelled, rousing the sleeping guard. The guard soon realized that Dis was calling him, and walked over nonchalantly to the cells.

"What is it." The guard said, annoyed that he had been woken. Tauriel recognized the guard with nervous eyes, he was Aryen, a Sindar who resented her deeply for becoming captain, when he felt that he should have had the position. Aryen particularly hated her, and this did not bode well.

"Tauriel needs a healer." Dis said urgently. "She's in labor."

"What, that _enyeg_!" the guard scoffed. "She doesn't deserve one, not after what she's done."

"Please! She is _giving birth_! This is urgent!" Dis cried.

"No." Aryen said coldly, and turned and walked back to his post.

"I'm sorry." Dis said to Tauriel. "I really did try!"

"It's all right. That was Aryen, one of the Sindar. He thinks that he should have gotten captain, but I did instead, and he hates me for it. I didn't think he would send for a healer." Tauriel said.

"That is simply atrocious." Dis said. "How are you feeling?"

"I think they're coming closer together now, but not by much." Tauriel reported. "The guard shift changes at dawn, and it's probably around midnight now. Aryen's replacement will show up, and he'll probably get a healer."

"Well, at least you'll get one, though it's far later then I would like." Dis said. "Try and make yourself comfortable or sleep, if you can. The baby probably won't come for a while. These sort of things take time."

"I'll try." Tauriel said. She leaned against the wall and closed her eyes, but could not rest, for her nervousness about the fate of her child prevailed in her mind. As each hour passed, her pain increased.

"Dis?" Tauriel said nervously.

"Yes?" Dis asked.

"The pains...they're really starting to hurt." Tauriel said, biting her tongue to keep from crying out.

"Everything will be all right. It's maybe an hour until dawn. Try holding onto the bars of the cell, it sounds strange, but hanging onto something helps with the pain." Dis said.

"All right." Tauriel said, and moved from her preferred corner to a corner between the stone wall and the hinges of the cell bars. She placed her hand around the cool metal of the bars, and when the next pain hit, she grabbed it. What Dis had said was true, the pain somehow lessened.

At last, the sun rose and the guards changed. Aryen left, and was replaced by Neril, a Silvan guard who was once friends with Tauriel. By this point, Tauriel was screaming in pain as the contractions came closer and closer together. Neril immediately went over to check on Tauriel, as it was clear that something was wrong with the elf. Dis again pleaded for a healer, and Neril immediately sent for a one, who came quickly once she heard what was happening.

Tauriel screamed in agony once more, as Neril unlocked her cell to let the healer in, who Dis was glad to see had brought everything that she would have. Dis was feeling rather protective of the elf, and pressed her face to the bars of her cell to see what was going on.

Veriul, the healer, and Tauriel immediately started conversing in rapid Sindarin. Dis was upset that she couldn't understand what they were saying, but from their gestures, it was clear that the healer was asking Tauriel the same questions Dis had previously.

Veriul quickly laid out the supplies that she had brought, and instructed Neril to quickly find some warm water. He was nervous to leave his post at Tauriel's open cell door, but at Veriul said, Tauriel wasn't going anywhere. Tauriel removed her underclothes, and pushed up the skirt of her dress per Veriul's request so the healer could better deliver the baby. Tauriel followed Veriul's orders to push the child into the world. Tauriel screamed in pain, and her cries faded to the squalling of an infant.

Neril arrived with the water, and Veriul washed the blood off of the still crying baby, wrapped it in a blanket, and positioned the baby in it's mothers' waiting arms.

Tauriel smiled as she looked down at her new daughter. The baby girl slowly stopped crying as she looked up at her mother, and reached one tiny arm up to her mother's face. The baby had a head full of dark hair and emerald green eyes. The baby was a bit shorter then the average elf newborn, and a bit chubbier, but Tauriel suspected that was because of her half dwarf heritage.

"What are you going to name her?" Dis asked.

"Melda." Tauriel said. "It means beloved."

"That's beautiful!" Dis cried.

"Thank you." Tauriel said, still smiling at Melda. A great portion of her worries had been relieved. The baby was safe, wasn't harmed from the guards beatings, wasn't betrayed by it's own heiratige. If only Kili were here. That was Tauriel's sole regret, that her love was not here to see their child.

The guard and the healer quickly cleaned up the mess in the cell while Tauriel rested from the birth. Tauriel committed every aspect of Melda's face to memory, scarcely believing that she and Kili had brought forth such a miracle. Dis watched Tauriel with tender eyes, remembering what it had been like when she first birthed Fili. Dis could not wait to go to Erebor and find the fate of her sons.

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><p>That's chapter 4! There'll be one or two chapters in the fic before it's over. Sorry for not updating for a few days, I've been pretty busy. Please review, favorite, and follow! Starship T.A.R.D.I.S. out!<p> 


	5. Chapter 5

Several days passed. Each day, Dis became more and more anxious. Her kinsmen should have brought the ransom by now, it was not too long of a journey to Erebor from Mirkwood. The third day after Melda was born, a guard made his way to the cell of Dis.

"Your kinsmen have brought the king his jewels." he reported, and unlocked Dis's cell. "You are free to go." Dis stepped out of her cell, reveling in the taste of free air, though it was still Mirkwood air.

"What of Tauriel?" Dis asked.

"She is to remain imprisoned until the king sees fit to release her."

"Is that so?" Dis said, like a cat about to catch its' prey. "Tell me, elf, do you value your life?" Dis whipped a small dagger out from under her shirt and held it at the guard's throat.

"Uh." was the stunned guard's only response.

"If you do, I suggest that you release Tauriel and Melda at once. And don't even think about sounding the alarm." Dis said, poking the dagger into the elf's throat, drawing a small amount of blood. The guard started to nod, then realized that he was at risk of impaling himself on the blade at his throat. He instead carefully stepped over to Tauriel's cell and unlocked it, allowing the occupants to go free.

"Re-lock the door." Dis ordered. The guard did as she commanded, and swore on his bow that he would never tell anyone of this encounter for fear of death.

Dis calmly walked out of the dungeon, and gladly went to her kinsmen to start the journey to Erebor. She asked the soldiers and others who accompanied her about the fate of her sons, but they refused to say anything, leaving Dis to speculate. She was glad that she had kept one of her daggers in her underclothes. The elves didn't search them, just her coat and outer garb. Dis had tried to pick the lock on her cell. She had managed to open the lock, but couldn't get past the wards and spells that the elves had placed upon the bars, much to her frustration.

While Dis was leaving Mirkwood, Tauriel was going deeper into it. She was lucky that Melda was content to remain quiet and watch the world go by with wide eyes. Tauriel knew that there were many unguarded ways to exit the palace unseen, but the trouble was finding the right one. There were many tunnels that led to the Forest Road, but many of them had collapsed, or were near where guards patrolled. Tauriel took advantage of an old door into an unused room to slip into the room and think. She sat down on a dusty crate and concentrated. She had to get the the Forest Road, that would be where Dis was going, and she needed to get to Dis so that she could find Kili. Tauriel adjusted Melda, who was starting to squirm, in her arms. Just then, she heard the sound of voices outside the door. They were speaking rapid Sindarin. With a jolt, Tauriel realized that they were talking about her escape. Tauriel quickly looked around the room for something that she could use as a weapon, but the only things there were a multitude of dusty barrels. Seeing those barrels a second time made Tauriel remember something. She closed her eyes and dived into the memory.

"C'mon, c'mon, this way!" a high pitched voice shouted. Legolas's white-blonde hair streamed from his head as he ran with several other elflings away from the "dragon". They were playing Elves and Dragons, and Tauriel was the dragon. The elflings were running from her with a chorus of giggles, and ran into the very room where Tauriel now stood. Legolas ducked behind the pile of barrels, and concentrated. He, very softly, whistled his mother's favorite birdcall, then pushed at the door. The door swung open without a sound, revealing a passageway. The memory faded.

Tauriel crouched behind the barrels. She knew that the guards were outside of the room. She had to get out, and quickly. The longer she stayed in the palace, the greater the odds that she would get captured. Tauriel softly whistled the notes to the birdsong, and pushed at the door. The wall was now revealed to be a part of a door. It swung open, not making any noise, and Tauriel quickly stepped inside and closed the door. The passageway was dark, no more then three ells high and one ell across. The floor was dry, and where Tauriel had entered had seemed to be the start of the passage. There was only one way that she could go: forward.

Nearly an hour later, Tauriel and Melda reached the end of the passage. The door swung open easily from the inside. Tauriel blinked quickly at the bright light of day. It was midafternoon. Tauriel looked around. The door ended in a small cave, and from there was not too far from the Road. Fifteen minutes of walking later, mother and daughter were at the Road. Tauriel bent to the ground to read the tracks in the dirt of the Road. There were two lines, several ells apart. They went one way, but not the other. This indicated a wagon that had probably gone to the palace, but had not yet returned. There were footprints in the dirt next to the wagon tracks. They were shorter then that of Men, yet were not tracks of Elves, for elves do not leave tracks. Tauriel concluded that they must be Dwarves, since no Halfling would venture so far from it's smial. There were many tracks, indicating that there had probably been a regiment of soldiers guarding the wagon. In that case, what was in the wagon was valuable, and the only valuable thing that Dwarve could be bringing to Mirkwood would be the white gems to free Dis. Therefore, Dis had not yet returned from the palace.

Tauriel decided to wait for Dis to pass back the same way the wagon had passed earlier. Tauriel longed for her bow, or a knife, but she had neither. Tauriel hoped that Dis came before nightfall. A weaponless, fireless, shelterless night in the forest was not something that Tauriel desired. Melda, it seemed, did not relish the prospect either, for she started to cry. Tauriel comforted the crying infant, and nursed her to calm her down and keep the giant spiders from learning of their position. Tauriel contemplated scaling a tree to wait, but ultimately decided against it. Instead, she found a thicket of bushes that was close enough to the road that she would be able to see Dis pass, and was hidden enough that it would be hard to spot her and Melda.

Tauriel made herself as comfortable as she could and set Melda on her lap. Melda slept, and Tauriel kept a close eye on the road. Soon, she heard the sound of hooves in the distance, and voices. The wagon was approaching Tauriel's hiding spot, so she extracted herself from the bushes as best she could without waking Melda, and walked to the road. Tauriel could see Dis sitting in the wagon.

"Tauriel!" Dis called. She ordered the dwarves to halt. The other dwarves were surprised to see an Elf, and even more so that Dis was speaking to the elf.

"Hello Dis!" Tauriel cried cheerily.

"Well, are you coming?" Dis asked with a smile.

"Is it even a question?!" Tauriel responded. The dwarves grumbled amongst themselves, surprised that Dis seemed to be familiar with the Elf, and was inviting her to come to Erebor with them. Tauriel approached the wagon, and handed Melda up to Dis, then climbed in. Dis cooed over the baby, who was still asleep, and then ordered the dwarves to continue on their journey.

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><p>That was chapter five! The next, and last, chapter in the fic is the reunion. Please review, favorite, and follow! Starship T.A.R.D.I.S. out!<p> 


	6. Chapter 6

At last, the party reached the edge of Mirkwood. The group stopped at an inn about half a mile from the forest. Tauriel and Dis dismounted from the wagon, and entered into the inn. The bottom floor of the inn was a sort of tavern, the upper floor where the rooms were. There were plenty of people there. Mostly Men, but there were a few Dwarves too. Two of them happened to be brothers. The brothers were sitting at a table, drinking tankards of ale when they noticed the door opening. Inside of the doorframe, there were two women who were very familiar with the brothers.

Tauriel and Dis stood illuminated in the doorframe. Kili and Fili were shocked. Kili looked at Tauriel with eyes that looked as though they had seen the world for the first time. Tauriel stared at Kili in loving disbelief. She could scarcely believe that he was here, alive, healthy and whole! She could not stop herself from running to him, just as he started running towards her. They met in an embrace, and their lips soon found each other. They whispered to each other words of longing, joy, and happiness.

Dis and Fili were shocked. None of them knew of Tauriel and Kili's relationship. They looked on the two lovers with eyes of understanding. Dis finally knew who Tauriel's husband was, and why she could not say his name in Mirkwood. Fili finally knew who the girl that his brother had been mooning over for months was. Tauriel and Kili finally knew that the other was alive.

"Mother, this is Tauriel." Kili said, his voice full of joy. "Although it seems you're already acquainted with each other."

"Yes, indeed we are." Dis said, with a voice that was mixed shock and wonder.

"Kili, you've found your lass!" Fili said, happy for his brother.

"Aye." Kili said. "Both of them!" Kili smiled at his family and then at his daughter in his arms.

"And I've found you." Tauriel said with a smile. The five, Elf, Dwarf, and both, sat down at the table, and recounted how they had found each other here. It was a night of joy, sorrow, weeping, and laughter—but it was wonderful.

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><p>Hi! It's a shorted chapter then usual this time, but I have good news! I'm going to be continuing the fic! This was the planned ending with the addition of a short epilogue, but plot bunnies had babies and I'm going to continue it. The bad news is that the next update is going to be a while. I have a lot of schoolwork because I've been sick, and need to get that done before I focus on fanfic. We'll be seeing the Dwarves reaction to an Elf princess and a half Elf heir. Please remember to review, favorite, and follow. Starship T.A.R.D.I.S. out!<p> 


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